The invention relates to improvements in the plumbing part of the construction of swimming pools. More particularly, the invention relates to a barrier device and method which (1) prevents leakage of pool water around plumbing, such as return pipes, extending through the gunite (i.e., shotcrete) layer of the wall of the partially constructed swimming pool or drain pipes extending through the gunite layer for connection to drain fixtures, and (2) also prevents leakage of plaster or other interior surface finishing material into open ends of any exposed plumbing extending through the gunite layer as the plaster or other finishing material is applied thereto.
A problem of the prior art is that the above described application of plaster or other interior surface finishing material results in leakage of some of the material into the open ends of the return water pipes or drain pipes as the material is being applied. The presence of plaster or the like in the open ends of the water return pipes or drain pipes may cause considerable difficulty, especially if slurry or plaster material hardens before being removed from the pipes.
In the past, pool construction workers have sometimes applied tape over, or inserted sponges into, the open ends of the return water pipes or drain pipes extending through and beyond the gunite layer of which the swimming pool wall and floor are constructed. However, that approach has been inadequate, because some of the plaster or slurry inevitably passes through the tape or sponge into the open end of the water return pipes and/or drain pipes.
Another problem of the prior art is that after the swimming pool construction has been completed and the pool has been filled with water, leakage of pool water occurs around the outside surfaces of the return water pipes and drain pipes through defective seals between the water pipes and the pool wall, because of the failure of pool wall materials to provide a reliable seal with the outside surfaces of the pipes. When gunite is applied to the interior of the pool, the nozzle usually is positioned higher than plumbing pipes that pass through the pool xe2x80x9cshellxe2x80x9d or wall. This often leaves a void underneath a protruding pipe. Also, the gunite material being applied can slump and create voids around plumbing that passes through the pool wall. Such voids can cause leakage of pool water if a good seal is not provided around the pipe during application of the interior surface plaster or other finish. Also, during temperature changes from summer to winter in warmer climates, the gunite and interior finish expands and contracts. This causes leakage of pool water around plumbing pipes that pass through the gunite structure. Such leakage can cause soil expansion problems and cracking of the swimming pool wall. Repairing such a defective seal after the pool has been completed can be very expensive, especially if the surrounding portion of the pool bottom or pool wall needs to be removed by means of a jack-hammer and replaced by new wall material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,326 (Barnes et al.) discloses several xe2x80x9ceyeballxe2x80x9d fittings which can be provided in the floor and wall of the swimming pool or spa during construction. The xe2x80x9ceyeballxe2x80x9d fittings are relatively high-precision, expensive fittings, and their pivoting operation would be impaired by plaster debris introduced into the fittings during plastering of the pool or spa. To avoid this difficulty, the xe2x80x9ceyeballxe2x80x9d fittings have caps which prevent plaster or other finish from entering the fittings as the finish is applied. In one embodiment, a breakaway cap 30 is integral with a threaded retaining ring that retains a spherical eyeball member in the fitting. After the finishing operation, the retaining ring is threaded further into the fitting, causing pressure of the fitting on the periphery of the cap to break it away from the retaining ring. In another embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,326, a disk-shaped breakaway cap 50 is attached by a frangible web 54 and a pair of diametrically opposed tabs 61 to an open mouth of the fitting. The tabs 61 act as pivot points when a peripheral point of the breakaway cap is hit with a hammer, causing it to tilt so it can be grasped and removed by breaking the tabs. The device is costly because it requires several separate molded parts. In a third embodiment, a breakaway cap 70 includes hook-like projections that hold the breakaway cap 70 in place during plastering or other finishing by extending into and engaging the socket within which the xe2x80x9ceyeballxe2x80x9d element is retained. After plastering, a screwdriver is forced through a weak spot 74 in the breakaway cap 70 and tilted so as to disengage the book-like projections and remove the breakaway cap. The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,326 are intended to be used as restricted wall return fittings for the purpose of controlling the direction of pool water being returned into the pool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,759 (Steimle) discloses a water barrier device including the tubular sleeve encircled by flanges having a fluid-tight seal with the exterior of the pipe extending through the wall of the swimming pool. The device must be slipped over the outside portion of pool plumbing in order to be embedded into the gunite or pool finish. Therefore, it is necessary to clean a relatively large surface area of the end of the pipe before the tubular sleeve can be slid over the end of pipe and cemented thereto. However, pool finish contractors usually will not use this type of fitting because the cleaning of the pipes required before installing this type of water barrier is far too time consuming.
It would be desirable to provide a practical device and technique to prevent leakage of water in a swimming pool around return water pipes and drain pipes extending through the walls of swimming pools and simultaneously provide a convenient, inexpensive way of preventing plaster or other interior surface finishing material from leaking into the open ends of return water pipes and drain pipes while plaster or other interior surface material is being applied onto the gunite layers of partially constructed swimming pools.
It is an object of the invention to provide a barrier device and technique for making improved plumbing connections along the interior surface of a swimming pool to avoid leakage of pool water around plumbing connections through the pool wall.
It is another object of the invention to provide a barrier device and technique to prevent plaster or other interior pool finishing material from entering open ends of plumbing connections such as water return pipes or drain pipes extending through the gunite wall layer of a partially constructed swimming pool during application of plaster or other interior pool surface material to the gunite layer.
It is another object of the invention to provide a single device that effectively functions as both a barrier device for making improved plumbing connections along the interior surface of a swimming pool to avoid leakage of pool water around plumbing connections through the pool wall and as a barrier device to prevent plaster or other interior pool finishing material from entering open ends of plumbing connections such as water return pipes or drain pipes extending through the gunite wall layer of a partially constructed swimming pool during application of plaster or other interior pool surface material to the gunite layer.
Briefly described, and in accordance with one embodiment thereof, the invention provides a barrier device and technique for use in the plumbing during construction of a swimming pool. The barrier device (1) includes a tubular cylindrical section (2) having an open first end. A pop-out barrier (12) is integral with the cylindrical section, at a second end portion of the cylindrical section, and is disposed to cover the second end portion of the cylindrical section. In the described embodiment, an annular water barrier flange (3) is integral with the cylindrical section, and is disposed about a mid portion of the cylindrical section to prevent water leakage around the outer surface of the cylindrical section (2) when the barrier device is installed on the end of a water return pipe or a drain pipe extending through the wall surface of a swimming pool. The pop-out barrier includes a thin annular section (12A) peripherally connected by a thinned or scored first web (15) and a thickened hinge portion (15A) of the first web to an edge portion of the second end. The pop-out barrier also includes an inner section (12B) peripherally connected by a end second web (17) and a thickened hinge portion (17A) of the second web to an inner edge portion of the annular section (12A). In the described embodiment, a barrier device is a debris/water barrier device, wherein an integral annular water barrier flange (3) is disposed about a mid portion of the cylindrical section to prevent water leakage around an outer surface of the cylindrical section (2) when the device is installed on an open end of the water return pipe or drain pipe. The annular water barrier flange includes an outer surface (3B) and a peripheral lip (3A) extending outward from the outer surface.
Construction of the swimming pool includes applying gunite material to form a wall and a floor of the swimming pool so that open end portions of a plurality of water return pipes extend beyond a surface of the gunite material. A debris/water barrier device or the like is attached to each extending open end portion, respectively. A layer of interior finish material is applied to the gunite so that the interior finish material is flush or nearly flush with the pop-out barrier (12).
The inner section (12B) is struck so as to break part of the second web (17) so that the inner section (12B) hangs inside a volume bounded by the pop-out barrier (12). A retracting element is inserted into a resulting hole in the annular section, and the annular section (12A) is pulled outward so as to break the first web (15) in removing the pop-out barrier (12).